Grindr, Gay Dating App, Gets Political for 2012 Elections

If you thought Grindr was merely a tool to find a hot date for the weekend, think again: The gay dating app has announced it will carry an effort to mobilize and educate gay men with sights on the upcoming 2012 November elections.

According to its website, Grindr will start delivering geo-targeted messages about gay rights issues to its 1.5 million users, not only informing them about what's at stake for gay men, but also urging them to vote for candidates that support the LGBT community.

"We must elect not only a president but representatives and senators who are supportive of our community and our equality," said Joel Simkhai, founder and CEO of Grindr, in a statement.

"Local elections have national impact, so we want to use Grindr as a tool for mobilizing and connecting gay men around the country to help make a combined national impact."

Grindr for Equality will work, for example, by alerting Grindr users in Minnesota to a constitutional ban on gay marriage that has been proposed and encourage them to contact their local representatives, according to its website.

"All elections are won or lost on the local level," Simkhai said. "There is no election or town too small to have a gay voice. We'll use Grindr to unite gay men across the country, make that voice grow louder and have a nationwide impact."

Grindr Founder & CEO Joel Simkahi sat down with EDGE to talk about a new feature that allows users to specify the type of man they’re seeking, how the ’Grindr for Equality’ campaign is affecting politics, & the realities of safe & not-so-safe sex.

Apple's iPhones and iPads have gotten free software updates, including battery improvements and a smarter virtual assistant. The new features and capabilities in the update, iOS 9, are primarily refinements rather than anything transformative.